Characterization of heat transfer in 3D CMOS structures using Sideband Scanning Thermal Wave Microscopy

Abstract

Efficient thermal management is critical for cryogenic CMOS circuits, where local heating can compromise device performance and qubit coherence. Understanding heat flow at the nanoscale in these multilayer architectures requires localized, high-resolution thermal probing techniques capable of accessing buried structures. Here, we introduce a sideband thermal wave detection scheme for Scanning Thermal Microscopy, S-STWM, to probe deeply buried heater structures within CMOS dies. By extracting the phase of propagating thermal waves, this method provides spatially resolved insight into heat dissipation pathways through complex multilayer structures. Our approach enables quantitative evaluation of thermal management strategies, informs the design of cryo-CMOS circuits, and establishes a foundation for in situ thermal characterization under cryogenic operating conditions.